St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-18
AN EARLY CALL.
The Guests at Chicago Hotel
Routed Out by Fire.

CHICAGO, Nov. 17.-Over 1000 guests
occupying the six floors of the Saratoga
European hotel, OH Dearborn street,
were aroused from their beds shortly
before 2 o'clock this morning by the
ringing of the electric fire alarm in
their rooms. Smoke was pouring
through the halls and creeping in at the
tranSOmS. Cries of fire" were heard
on every landing and an indescribable
panic ensued. Few stopped to secure
their clothing or valuableS. Women
and men fled through the halls, down
the stairway and out in the street clad
in their night clothes. The Gathering
of the fire engines aroused the eccu-
pants of several hotels in the neighbOr-
hood, and the excitement became i'll
night clerk of the hotel, descended from
the sixth story by the fire escape. The
other inmates tumbled over each other
down the stairs in their hurry to escape.
The fire had started in the kitchen of
the Saratoga restaurant on the first
floor. and rapidly spread through the
building, ascending to the top at the
rear by means of the ventilatOr. The
night clerk of the hotel, Thomas Nc
Fadden, saw the smoke and ran into
the hall and gave the alarm. He then
RANG THE ELECTRIC ALARM BELLS.
The clerk at the Windsor hotel heard
the cries of fire and sent In an alarm.
Shortly after the arrival of the first
company a second alarm was sent in.
The flames were then high above the
roof of the Seven-StOry structure. Half
an hours hard work Subdued the fire
sufficiently to allow two truck compa-
MES to hoist their ladders and make
search of the rooms. 1t was at first be-
lieyed that some of the guests had been
caught in the fire, but none were found.
About 2:45, after several of the en-
gineS had been dismissed. the fire broke
out afresh on the top floor, and in
short while the seventh story was
ablaZe, with strong breeze tanning it
in the direction of the Journal building
to the south. The rear, from the lower
floor clean through, was also ablaZe, the
shaft formerly used as freight elevator,
acting as fiue. The fire, however, was
confined to these places, and but for the
strong wind could have been easily
fought. The building was flooded with
water, and from this and the smoke
o'clock the fire was entirely under con-
troll. The Windsor hotel, just across
the alley, was crowded with numbers
of excited men and women
IN ALL STAGES OF DESHABILLE.
In their haste to get out of the burn
ing Saratoga many of them had put on
but one shoe, while others were bare
footed. An Overcoat or a cloak over the
night-clOtheS was the Scant attire that
enveloped most of the guests. The
dodgers in the Windsor were awakened
by the noise of the engines, and at first
there was quite a scare, but the excite
ment subsidized when it was learned that
there was no immediate danger, and the
people set about assisting the scantily
clad dodgers of the burning hotel. The
Windsor was Over-cr0Wded last night,
and there was therefore no room for the
burned out ones, but they were made as
comfortable as circumstances would
permit Many of them left for other
hotels with what effects they had saved.
Those of the guests who had not taken
refuge in the Windsor hotel sought hall
ways in the buildings surrounding in
which to don their clothing. In the EN-
trance of the First National bank build
ing stood four women Scantily appar-
eled and shivering with the cold. Many
told stories of their narrow escapes.
John w. Benson. travelling man,
who roomed on the third floor, said
he awakened slowly, and when he
realized the situation the smoke had
nearly suffocated him. He crawled on
his hands and knees to the stairway
and got to the bottom in a fainting con-
dition. M. E. Anderson, of Philadel-
phia, had narrow escape also when he
attempted to return for his clothing.
The origin of the fire is unknown. 1t
clearly started in the rear of the restau-
rant. The building is owned by the
Chamber estate, and is damaged to the
extent of $4,000 or $4,000. The res
taurant is Quilted and the furniture al
most entirely destroyed, entailing loss
of at least $1,000. The damage to the
hotel furniture is about S. 600